One of the food chains around here has taken to offering these hand held scanners that you can take along with you as you shop. They're great. You scan your club card, take the scanner that's lit up and as you put items into your cart (bagging as you go) and it keeps your total as you go, also taking into account the club discounts. Which is awesome for someone such as myself that's somewhat math challenged.

Then once you're done, you take it to the self serve registers that are set up for this device, scan the barcode and then when you scan your card it brings up all your purchases. You can apply coupons if you have them, pay and leave since you're already bagged up. Really comes in handy when you have a toddler along that tends to get impatient by that point.

I also love the fact you only have to pack everything once, not into the cart onto the checkout into your bags.

Also very convenient when you're purchasing large or heavy items you'd normally have to put under the basket. Just scan them, pop them on the shelf under the basket and the only time you have to remove it again is into your vehicle. Also in the produce section you can weigh things, it'll print up a sticker which you can slap on the bag, scan, and know exactly how much it'll be before you get to the register.

I wish the Martin's closer to our house had this technology but it's really not too far of a drive to the one at the other end of town.

Logged

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. -Desiderata

When people ask what you prefer when they clearly want to one particular thing.

Last night I went to dinner with a friend. The hostess asked if we wanted to sit inside or out.

Friend: Oh, I don't know. mbbored, where do you want to sit?Me: Outside might be nice.Friend: Oh, I wanted to sit inside. Can you please seat us inside?Me: Well, why did you bother to ask ask me?Friend: I was hoping you'd say it yourself.

Argh!

It's a dreaded variation of "Where do you want to eat lunch?" or "Do you want x or y for dinner?"

They all drive me bananas.

With work friends, since my going automatically vetoes 4 favorite restaurants (5 guys, BK*, Chick, and a local Chinese place). I always feel like I should let the rest of the team choose from the remaining possibilities.

*I'm not sure what the deal with BK is. They swear up and down they don't use peanut products. Other people with the allergy don't have a problem eating there. Still I've landed in the ER 2x with severe reactions to something after eating there.

Oh wow... so many of those heart cards were made, using so much effort, and every single one is wrong. Ouch. For my own perspective: last week I taught a class of assorted 5 year olds the difference between you're and your, as well as it's and its, etc. in one lesson. They're still using it perfectly. They're not an advanced class or anything. It's just not hard; I have no idea why so many people get this wrong. Well, OK, I do have an idea, but it isn't very nice

And people who ask you something but aren't actually interested in what you answer, they just want to ask to seem polite? (Seem polite vs actually being polite.) Grrrrr. My brother and two sisters used to do this literally daily. My strategy as a child was to say "no" to all requests by default, and then if they didn't throw a tantrum or start throwing insults, I'd suddenly change my mind. Not one single time did I get the opportunity to change my mind. Not once from birth to adulthood. So now as an adult, I have no time for people who do this. I just mentally write them off and minimise contact. Because if someone's actually a friend, they won't ask for your imput just to be polite and to look good--they'll ask because they actually care about your input. Strange, I know.

Why do people think it is appropriate to wear a gallon of our fume? It's awful pretty much any time, but 5:30 in the morning in the ore-op waiting room if an extremely busy, major hospital is downright inexcusable. I nearly became a patient myself from being assaulted bu the mixed scents of several if these people.

Logged

Some people lift weights. I lift measures. It's a far more esoteric workout. - (Quoted from a personal friend)

DH and I went out to the local cheesecake shop earlier this morning to get my birthday cheesecake. (Yum!) I got home and checked Facebook to learn that the cheesecake shop posted a "Mention this offer and get 50% off" offer while we were gone. Grrr.

Watermelons. When I go to the store and want a watermelon I have two choices and only two choices....the small "personal" melons and the not much bigger round, seedless melons. What happened to the big, oblong melons we used to be able to get? You know, the ones that could feed more than three people? I guess I'm going to have to go to farmer's markets and such to find them, as the grocery stores just don't have them anymore.

Yet another driving annoyance - this has happened 3 times in the past week.

I'm driving on a US interstate highway, with 3 lanes in each direction. Someone is driving slow (well under the 65 mph limit) in the middle lane, so that people are passing them in both the left and right lanes (which is technically illegal). They do not have any turn signals on indicating that they want to change lanes - they're just puttering on in the middle lane. So with my exit coming up, I switch over to the right lane - it's about 1/2 mile away. Just then, Slow Driver decides they are going to exit, and quickly cut over in front of me. Now I'm stuck behind them without enough highway between me and the exit to go around them and still make it to the exit.

Bonus points when the exit is to a road with only a single lane each way so now I'm stuck behind them going significantly under the speed limit on that road as well.

Yet another driving annoyance - this has happened 3 times in the past week.

I'm driving on a US interstate highway, with 3 lanes in each direction. Someone is driving slow (well under the 65 mph limit) in the middle lane, so that people are passing them in both the left and right lanes (which is technically illegal). They do not have any turn signals on indicating that they want to change lanes - they're just puttering on in the middle lane. So with my exit coming up, I switch over to the right lane - it's about 1/2 mile away. Just then, Slow Driver decides they are going to exit, and quickly cut over in front of me. Now I'm stuck behind them without enough highway between me and the exit to go around them and still make it to the exit.

Bonus points when the exit is to a road with only a single lane each way so now I'm stuck behind them going significantly under the speed limit on that road as well.

OH yes. I get this a lot. Or, along the same lines, when you get behind someone going much slower than the actual speed limit, and you are stuck behind them the whole entire way! i was dog and housesitting last week for friends. And to get to their house, you go down one main road, which has turns for several other main roads. And then you take another road, whcih is two lanes and a bit curvy, for a few miles to their house.

Each and Every time I would get behind someone on the first leg of my trip, they would continue on the same way I was going, never turning off and letting me go a bit faster! Drove me crazy.

Watermelons. When I go to the store and want a watermelon I have two choices and only two choices....the small "personal" melons and the not much bigger round, seedless melons. What happened to the big, oblong melons we used to be able to get? You know, the ones that could feed more than three people? I guess I'm going to have to go to farmer's markets and such to find them, as the grocery stores just don't have them anymore.

My Kroger has the oblong ones, but I haven't been able to find any other the other variety of watermelons even at the farmers' market. I really want to find a black diamond watermelon - so much more flavor. Same with tomatoes - no flavor. At least I can find heirloom varieties of those around.

His birthday was a week back, but he was traveling and he wanted to meet us for dinner Saturday. Trying to get him to pick a location is a hassle. He asks MIL, they decide on favorite Japanese steakhouse. DH, DS and I love sushi. Even when we are ordering the hibachi dinner, we get sushi. I ask FIL if he wants to order himself some sushi, because we are only ordering sushi for ourselves. He says no, that he is only going to have the hibachi dinner. So, the three of us order 4 rolls to share and tuna Kobashi for DH. Our sushi comes, we are enjoying it while waiting for the hibachi chef, and FIL is making eyes at our sushi and DS gives him a piece.

What I don't understand is:1) It was FIL's birthday dinner. We were paying (as usual). When we offer for you to order an appetizer if you want one, order one!2) He does this every time we go out, and I refuse to share a small appetizer with 5 people vs the 3 people it was ordered for.

Not quite up a wall but I don't really like it, either. Not being able to offer good advice to a friend, especially when said friend has given me oodles of good advice that's worked very well, time and time again.

Now my friend has told me "Look, that you just listen and let me vent is enough, I'm not expecting you to help me with this." but it's the whole thing of feeling helpless and useless anyway, especially when she's unhappy about something.

Logged

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. -Desiderata

This is small, but annoying: Winning a free drink on my Panera loyalty card, but the drink choices have more sugar in them than I should have at once.

One employee said the other day that they should be allowed to give me a free iced coffee or tea for that credit, but the one today (deadline for the credit) didn't think of that. I'm going to make a comment on their website that the chain needs to be flexible about this.

This is small, but annoying: Winning a free drink on my Panera loyalty card, but the drink choices have more sugar in them than I should have at once.

One employee said the other day that they should be allowed to give me a free iced coffee or tea for that credit, but the one today (deadline for the credit) didn't think of that. I'm going to make a comment on their website that the chain needs to be flexible about this.

I'd do that, but I'd also be willing to bet a manager would let you do that. esp since its much easier for you to get yourself and iced tea or coffee, rather than them make whatever drink, i'm guessing latte or something like that,. You can't be the only one who needs to avoid sugar.